Snap Inc., owner of the popular messaging app Snapchat, rolled out its first parental control tools on Tuesday, which will allow parents to see who their teens are talking to, but not the substance of their conversations.
The new feature called Family Center is launching at a time when social media companies have been criticized over a lack protection for kids. In October, Snap and its tech peers TikTok and YouTube testified before U.S. lawmakers accusing the companies of exposing young users to bullying or steering them toward harmful content.
Instagram also testified in a Senate hearing in December over children’s online safety, after a Facebook whistleblower leaked internal documents that she said showed the app harmed some teens’ mental health and body image….